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Grandfather 'planned gun massacre' in Margaret River, Australia

The shattered father of four children killed in apparent multiple murder-suicide in rural Western Australia has begun making plans to lay them to rest. The bodies of their mother Katrina Miles, 35, and grandparents Peter and Cynda Miles were also found at the property.

Police found three guns registered to Peter Miles at the 30-acre sheep and vegetable farm where the three generations lived.

Peter Miles then called police before dawn on Friday. "It's still very early in this investigation, but based on what we do know, this is clearly a tragedy". I've been briefed by the homicide officers.

"We have got to come to terms with that as a community and that is part of the grieving process and part of the healing process". "I'm not going to speculate as to the chronology", Dawson said. "The homicide rate has also dropped, although some experts debate whether changes in gun laws are the only factor".

Their daughter and her children were discovered in a retooled shed, where they reportedly lived and where the kids were home schooled.

Mr Gostelow said while the students and families in Margaret River were most likely to be affected by the trauma, adults should monitor children elsewhere for any signs of distress. "I think he's thought this through".

Dossor said he had just talked with Miles about watching his property for a time while he was gone.

Relatives of the family said they were struggling to comprehend the killings. People want understanding, they want to know why but we may never know why.

Meanwhile, as the media presence in the town beings to shrink, locals are coming to the local community centre to take advantage of special counselling services that are being offered.

They are treating the incident as a murder-suicide.

The incident is the worst loss of life in a single shooting incident since the Port Arthur massacre of 1996, in which 35 people were killed and 23 injured when a gunman opened fire in the historic Tasmanian town of Port Arthur.